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Saint Thomas Aquinas

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Let us offer up our prayers for the repose of the soul of Fr. Thomas Dubay. He passed away over the weekend. Well known for his great spiritual works such as 'Fire Within', 'Authenticity', and 'Prayer Primer' as well as his appearances on EWTN, he will certainly be missed.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

If you want to know the strategy of the Islamic movement in America, all you have to do is read their Explanatory Memorandum released back in 1991. (Google PDF, scroll down for English) I want to summarize for you some of what their grand plan is for the country that we live in, and for the Catholic faith that we as Catholics embrace with all of our heart, mind and soul. The notion that Islam is a religion of “peace” is all dependent on what your definition of “peace” is. If it is to mean that they believe that all men of all religions can live in a society as equals and as men of freewill, then the definition fails on many levels. If it means that peace is obtained after Islam is the religion of the State, and all other religions and laws other than that of Islam are trampled underfoot, then we could call Islam a religion of “peace.” That is, it wants peace under its own terms, under its own rule. In Islam, peace is simply, the rule of Islam.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Check out this video about Cardinal Newman's own library. I would love to move into this place! Maybe I should apply for a job as the resident librarian! It looks like he had a great collection, and it would be a benefit to have it preserved. Many of the volumes were preserved from French monasteries that were closed down during the French Revolution. Very interesting indeed. Visit Corpus Christi Watershed for more information.

Friday, September 24, 2010

It seems that Mark Shea is not happy with my Jeff Foxworthy parody since he has now officially called it "Factional shit." He followed that up referring to me with, "I could not care less if I hurt the feelings of such bullies. Similarly, I train my fire on gay bullies who harass and abuse people for not celebrating their disordered appetite. " That is typical Mark Shea rhetoric for those of you who are not familiar with his shoddy work. We can see the noxious nonsense that Shea is trying to spin here by comparing me to a gay bully trying to force my disordered lifestyle on people. That is what windbags like Shea do when they have no substantive material to write, they resort to malicious ad-hominems. What bothers me about Shea are not necessarily his personal accusations, but the fact that he never never backs them up with any substance. For example, he accused me of being a "Rad Trad" who is for maximum death. What is that supposed to mean anyways? Have I ever called for the maximum use of the death penalty? I bet Shea has not even read the articles I have written on the death penalty and other social justice issues. If so, I would like to see a substantive argument from him arguing against what I actually wrote, rather than read his mindless bitter rhetoric like, "Why don't you get back to your pleas for maximum executions, Matthew. What the world really needs more of is Catholics hungry for death, death, and more death. You represent all that is ugliest in so-called Traditionalism, Mr. Bellisario."

There is a "Reformed" Protestant who has titled himself Turretin Fan, who often misrepresents Catholic teaching on his blog. His latest rant is on the infallibility of the Magisterium concerning women in the priesthood. His argument is based on pure fallacy, that is if you can even call his article an argument. Lets take a quick look at how this pretended "Reformer" misrepresents the Catholic Church here regarding infallibility.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Atheists like to pretend they are very logical people. Nothing could be further from the truth. Using the logical tools developed by St. Thomas Aquinas and the authentic Thomistic commentators, you will learn to prove that modern secularism is a house built on logical sand.

Students will be able to see where their secular lecturers commit logical errors and how some of the most prominent modern ideas rest on logical mistakes.

But we will not only be applying our logical skills to academic subjects. By using practical examples from the media you will learn how to spot the logical flaws in many politicians’ and commentators’ arguments.

You will not only be acquiring new knowledge, you will also be refining your logical skills and learning the habits of easy and consistent logical thinking. This course will help you to construct reasoned arguments that can help you discover the truth and prove your point in any work, social or academic setting.

In order to promote interest in Thomistic Philosophy and to show that philosophy is indeed for everyone, the Sapientis Institute is not charging any tuition for this course. This four-month college level course normally costs $250(USD). You can sign up for a nominal $25(USD) registration fee. Registration is now open and the course starts shortly.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

In this video John Hittinger briefly describes why philosophy is so important to study. He also points out the fact that it is important to understand the differences between modern philosophy and that of the ancients. More importantly we need to recognize the modern philosophies and how they are applied in today's culture. The thoughts of the modernist philosophers have deeply penetrated the thought of world in which we live, and it is crucial to know what the philosophical remedy is to their error. Unfortunately many in the Church today fail to grasp the importance of this issue, and this is why I believe that Catholic apologetics is in such a state of decline today. We can find the remedy in the video below by Fr. Robert Barron.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Its time to have some fun. OK, here are a few questions to ask yourself to see if you are a Vatican II only Catholic. That would be a Catholic who thinks the Church has only existed since the Second Vatican Council.

You might be a Vatican II only Catholic if...

You think Vatican II has changed Catholic doctrine.

You think that kneeling to receive the Eucharist on your tongue is an outdated medieval practice.

You think that a cheap table cloth with a hole cut in it passes for liturgical vestments.

You love those ugly felt banners that hang from the ceiling of your church.

You think that glass dinner ware passes for the sacred vessels of the Mass.

You think it is your right to be part of the flock of Extraordinary ministers that hover around the altar like vultures waiting to grab the “bread and wine.”

You think the death penalty should be completely abolished from the face of the earth because you think retribution and justice is cruel.

You think the crusades were started by a Pope who loved violence and hated the peaceful religion of the East.

You hate St. Thomas Aquinas, and you think he is boring.

The only Church document you have ever read is the New Catechism

You hate Latin.

You hold your hands up, or clap, and sway at Mass.

You think that “On Eagles Wings” is great liturgical music to replace Gregorian Chant.

You can’t tell the difference between the altar and the tabernacle.

You are upset because the Pope says the Church cannot ordain women.

You like liturgical dance.

You think it is not ecumenical to tell people that the Catholic faith is the one true faith.

You think that 'Summorum Pontificum' was a mistake made by the Pope.

You think that the Mass is all about the community.

You think that Thomas Merton was the greatest mystic of all time.

You think that St. Therese of Liseux wanted to be officially ordained a priest.

You cite the USCCB as an authority for your Catholic faith.

You think that Cardinal Bernardin was a great theologian.

You think Karl Rahner was a genius.

You think the secondary end of the conjugal act is now the primary and sole end.

You think your daughter has a right to serve as an altar boy.

You think a head bob replaced genuflection.

You think St. Paul was chauvinistic pig because he told women to cover their heads.

You substituted the crucifix for a flying Jesus. (Resurrected Christ)

You think the sign of peace is an intermission where you get to catch up on the latest news.

You think your priest looks better in a sweater than his collar.

You think its hip that nuns are now wearing slacks and Reebocks.

The only religious art you have in your house are of Ghandi and Dorothy Day.

As we know, Fr. Robert Barron now has his own show on national television. He also has written an article on the ABC News Good Morning America spirituality column. Please stop by and give it a read, and then leave some comments in support of his article. We need to have a strong Catholic voice like his readily visible in a national media setting.

"Taking certain texts of the great cardinal out of their literary and historical contexts, Cornwell argues that Newman was the leading liberal Catholic thinker of his time. Then he insinuates that, were he alive today, Newman would be radically out of step with the reactionary Joseph Ratzinger who is, curiously enough, beatifying him."

"On Newman's reading, a church without a clear teaching authority would be as dysfunctional as a baseball game without an umpire. He definitely encouraged the lively play of the theological conversation, and he was indeed impatient with a fussy, interventionist exercise of Roman authority; however, none of this makes him a "dissenter" in the contemporary sense of the term. He defended the Pope's infallibility as a bulwark against indifferentism and doctrinal drift."

Today we remember the miracle of the stigmata of St. Francis. You can read the story here.

Below is an instruction given by St. Francis to clerics on proper reverence for the Eucharist and the Altar.

ON REVERENCE FOR THE LORD'S BODY AND ON THE CLEANLINESS OF THE ALTAR.

Let us all consider, O clerics, the great sin and ignorance of which some are guilty regarding the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and His most holy Name and the written words of consecration. For we know that the Body cannot exist until after these words of consecration. For we have nothing and we see nothing of the Most High Himself in this world except [His] Body and Blood, names and words by which we have been created and redeemed from death to life.
But let all those who administer such most holy mysteries, especially those who do so indifferently, consider among themselves how poor the chalices, corporals, and linens may be where the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is sacrificed. And by many It is left in wretched places and carried by the way disrespectfully, received unworthily and administered to others indiscriminately. Again His Names and written words are sometimes trampled under foot, for the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of God. 1 Shall we not by all these things be moved with a sense of duty when the good Lord Himself places Himself in our hands and we handle Him and receive Him daily?

Are we unmindful that we must needs fall into His hands? Let us then at once and resolutely correct these faults and others; and wheresoever the most holy Body of our Lord Jesus Christ may be improperly reserved and abandoned, let It be removed thence and let It be put and enclosed in a precious place. In like manner wheresoever the Names and written words of the Lord may be found in unclean places they ought to be collected and put away in a decent place. And we know that we are bound above all to observe all these things by the commandments of the Lord and the constitutions of holy Mother Church. And let him who does not act thus know that he shall have to render an account therefor before our Lord Jesus Christ on the day of judgment. And let him who may cause copies of this writing to be made, to the end that it may be the better observed, know that he is blessed by the Lord.

One of my favorite historical subjects to study is the Byzantine Empire. It is quite an interesting period of Church history. There is a great website that offers online publications on Byzantine history called Dumbarton Oaks. They have free online publications on Byzantine art, monasticism, the crusades, churches and the list goes on. It is a great resource for any scholarly research on the subject. They also have some great books for sale as well. You can add this to your research list.

It has just been announced! Fr. Robert Barron will be the first Catholic priest since Fulton Sheen to have his own show on national television! This is welcome news for Catholics and non-Catholics alike who will now have access to a solid and articulate Catholic priest every Sunday morning on TV. Check out this article over at The Sacred Page blog. With all of the bad news going around lately, this is surely welcome news for us.

"In a bold move to reach Catholics and those searching for Christ in their lives, Father Robert Barron begins broadcasting a weekly national television program on October 3rd. “Word on Fire with Father Barron” will appear on WGN America Sundays at 8:30 am Central."

Saturday, September 11, 2010

I finished listening to the debate on Predestination between Robert Sungenis and James White. I must say it was a rather subdued debate compared to those of the past. The debate ran about two hours, and both presented their positions quite well, yet as you may have guessed, Robert was able to make a much better case for the Catholic position than James was able to make for his Reformed position.

The audio is now available of the debates on predestination and the bodily assumption of Mary between Robert Sungenis and James White, via the Calvary website Sante Fe, where the debate took place. The debate took place last night. I am in the process of listening to them now, and I will share my thoughts on them later on. Enjoy!

If there is one book that you have on your shelf dealing with Mariology, this should definitely be the one. This book, written by one of the greatest Thomistic theologians of recent memory, covers every official teaching of the Catholic Church concerning The Blessed Virgin Mary. Lagrange looks at how the Church has interpreted and taught from Sacred Scripture and Tradition over the past 2000 years. Just the chapter on the Immaculate Conception alone is worth the price of admission. He even looks at Saint Thomas Aquinas specifically, and he points out his alternating positions on the Immaculate Conception, and why he had these changing theological opinions.

Many falsely think that Aquinas was completely against the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, yet upon closer examination of all of his writings, Lagrange, like many authentic Thomistic scholars conclude, "... that we must distinguish between three periods in the life of St. Thomas as to his teaching on this subject" Lagrange goes on to point out how Aquinas certainly began his theological career endorsing the Immaculate Conception when he wrote his commentary on Peter Lombard's Sentences, changed his opinion later when he wrote his Summa, and finally in the last years of his life possibly changed his opinion once again. He writes, "In the last period of his life, however, from 1272 until 1273, St. Thomas wrote a work that is certainly authentic. In a recent critical edition of this small work made by J. F. Rossi, c. M., we read: "For she [the Blessed Virgin] was most pure because she incurred the stain neither of original sin nor of mortal sin nor of venial sin." If it be so, then St. Thomas at the end of his life, after mature reflection, and in accordance with his devotion toward the Blessed Virgin, again affirmed what he had said in the first period of his life. We must note other passages indicative of this happy return to his first opinion." If you are looking for a book to explain all of the Catholic Church's teachings regarding Our Blessed Mother, then you cannot go wrong with this book. After you read it you will certainly be able to defend your faith much better in regards to this subject. It is published by TAN books and has been recently republished now with a new cover.

Friday, September 10, 2010

We live in one of the most turbulent cultures of any in recorded history. Technology has certainly allowed the spread of information to go beyond the limits of written hard copies, to virtually every computer connected to the internet in the world within seconds. When the pope speaks, we have his address in just minutes, and when the media reports on a Protestant “pastor” in Florida, with 40 members who is threatening to burn the Quran, it makes world news in no time. We have the Vatican, and her bishops making statements about this news event as if it concerns the very end of the world as we know it. It seems that no shred of controversial news goes unnoticed these days by our Church hierarchy at large. They always seem to want to weigh in on the latest controversy of the day, with one condition, as long it pertains to something outside of the Church.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

It has now been about a year and a half since the founding of the Christ the King chapel, run by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, in Sarasota, Florida. In just this short time, the Christ the King family has experienced some great moments, and here are just a few of my favorite pictures that I have taken over the last year and a half.

Above: Bishop Frank J. Dewane stands before the new altar on dedication day.

Above: The priests vesting before the great event.

Above" Bishop Frank J. Dewane blessing the chapel.

Above: The priests in the sacristy. We still do not know who Fr. Fausto is holding his arm around to his right. Possibly his guardian angel?

Above: The first Mass. I was in awe taking these pictures, knowing that Christ was building up his Church before my very eyes.

Above: The bishop gives a blessing and meets with the people.

Above: Fr. Justin Nolan, FSSP says a private Mass at Christ the King.

Above: The crowning of Our Lady before first communions. 2009

Above: Father James Fryar, FSSP with the altar boys and first communicants.

Above: Part of the fun of being the photographer is that you can be places where your not supposed to be! Here Fr. Brian Austin and Fr. James Fryar confer before Christ the King's first confirmations. They look so serious. "The bishop is coming!"

Above: In another place I shouldn't be. The bishop, the priests and the altar boys before the confirmations.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

We now have several contributors to the Coalition for Thomism blog, and we have just posted a couple of great articles. One is titled The Restoration of the Supernatural, written by James Larson. It is well worth taking the time to read. Those who mistake Saint Thomas' writings to be dry and void of any practical application to one's spiritual life, will certainly be enlightened after reading this article. Alex Greco has also started an ongoing series pertaining to the natural law. If you or anyone you know wants to contribute to the site, send me an email at Jamesbellisario@gmail.com. We have no time to lose in getting the grass roots restoration effort going among the laity.

I ran across this story posted over at the Papa Stronsay blog. Below is only a small portion of the story. To get the full story check out their website. The persecution of Catholics by the Protestants has made some radical Saints. Their stories should motivate us to be saints ourselves and always proclaim the true faith despite our opposition.

"The martyr coming to the place, kneeled her down, and prayed to herself. The tormentors bade her pray with them, and they would pray with her. The martyr denied, and said, ‘I will not pray with you, and you shall not pray with me; neither will I say Amen to your prayers, nor shall you to mine.’ Then they all willed her to pray for the Queen's Majesty. The martyr began in this order : First, in the hearing of them all, she prayed for the Catholic Church, then for the Pope's Holiness, Cardinals, and other Fathers which have charge of souls, and then for all Christian princes. At which words the tormentors interrupted her, and willed her not to put her Majesty among that company; yet the martyr proceeded in this order: ‘And especially for Elizabeth, Queen of England, that God move her to the Catholic Faith...

After this they laid weight upon her, which, when she first felt, she said, ‘Jesu! Jesu! Jesu! have mercy upon me!’ which were the last words which she was heard to speak. She was in dying one quarter of an hour. A sharp stone, as much as a man's fist, was put under her back ; upon her was laid a quantity of seven or eight hundredweight at the least [406 Kgs/896 lbs], which breaking her ribs, caused them to burst forth of the skin."

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Welcome to Catholic Champion blogspot.

It is important for people to have access to solid Thomistic Catholic reading material as well as solid spiritual sources. This is what I have now focused this blog towards. It is always a work in progress of course.